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She went on to testify on the two areas of the war that were illegal---the war’s objective and the conduct of the war. She then specifically detailed how much of the future of the occupation rests on preventing corporations from controlling Iraq’s oil. Exxon, Chevron, BP, Shell, and Total have just signed within the last week have just signed contracts to get oil to go into Iraq. Anyone with a sense of Iraqi history recognizes these names. These are the exact names that from the end of World War II until 1970 owned all of Iraq’s oil. They were given it as a war bounty at the end of World War I. They owned it, they controlled it, and they controlled Iraq’s fate because of owning the oil. Since they were kicked out in the 1970s, they’ve been trying to get back in. This is the second and maybe the largest pot of oil in the world. Oil is running out. However, oil sells for 110 dollars a barrel and it is waiting like a pot of gold to be claimed. The oil corporations are trying to make Iraq like it was in the 20s by privatizing their nationalized oil industry. If privatization happens (and this is a benchmark adopted by Congress---to get Iraq to pass a hydrocarbon or oil law) and if the oil corporations stay, they will need to be underwritten by the U.S. government---They will need to be underwritten by the U.S. military. A permanent U.S. presence will be needed. She closed by highlighting how the peace movement was making plans to shut down Chevron’s refinery in San Francisco where it’s bringing in Iraqi oil and highlighted how the peace movement had shut down Bechtel previously. Jeremy Scahill, a truly remarkable individual who has been the primary whistleblower on Blackwater operations in Iraq, stepped up to support IVAW and testify. He said that IVAW knows that their job is to “make sure that 3 am phone calls don’t happen” and thanked them for being “clearer than many parts of the peace movement” by demanding immediate withdrawal of all contractors and troops and reparations to Iraqis. Scahill described the massacre that Blackwater engaged in on September 16th, 2007. He emphasized after detailing the atrocity how Paul Bremer in Order No. 17 granted contractors exemption from Iraqi legal system, which is why justice had not been carried out on Blackwater. Also, limited use immunity, a rare immunity to grant those suspected of crimes, had been granted to Blackwater, which meant that whatever they told the U.S. could not be used against them in a court of law. (Limited use immunity was granted to Oliver North when he was suspected of crimes in the Iran-Contra Scandal. This immunity enabled him to walk free.) The numbers were mentioned as being: 150,000 to 160,000 soldiers in Iraq and 182,000 private contractors with 170 companies providing services like Blackwater’s. He talked about how Nancy Pelosi is guarded by Blackwater and suggested that it was in Congress’ interest to not get rid of Blackwater because they need that security in order to go to Iraq. He asked the question, “How can we expect Congress to carry out an investigation?” Going on, he demanded that people not drink the Obama or Hillary Kool-Aid and realize that Barack and Hillary have plans for 40,000 to 80,000 troops to remain in Iraq for a permanent presence and have no plans to remove military and corporate contractors from Iraq. Contractors, according to Scahill, are looting everything America stands for especially our treasury. The contractors allow the U.S. to have no draft and it allows the U.S. to not deal with the world. Contractors make our unilateralism or go-it-alone strategy possible. With the contract up for renewal in May, we cannot expect our Congress to do its civic duty and hold an investigation. But we can hope the people prevent Blackwater from having its contract renewed by mobilizing activists now to stop the renewal. Tune in tomorrow for Day 3 or the second full-day of hearings. Thank you.
Kevin Gosztola goes to Columbia College in Chicago where he is studying film. He hopes to become a documentary filmmaker. He is currently working as a production assistant on a documentary called "Seriously Green" which traces the development of the Green Party throughout the 2008 election. He has a passion for journalism and writes articles or press releases in his spare time. Kevin Gosztola is also a student activist who believes in questioning the way America's systems work(its electoral system, its military-industrial complex, its foreign policy of American exceptionalism, its media which has become the Fourth Branch of government,etc.)
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